Sacramento State has played at least one FBS (major-college) team each year since 2002 but, including the season-opening loss against New Mexico State, this marks only the second time that the Hornets will have played two FBS teams in a season. The other was in 2007, losses to New Mexico State and New Mexico.

This is the first time that the Hornets will play FBS teams in consecutive weeks.

Sacramento State and Colorado have never met in football. However, the Hornets stand 6-1 vs. teams in Colorado. That’s 0-1 vs. Colorado State (2008) and 6-0 vs. fellow Big Sky member Northern Colorado.

Sophomore quarterback Garrett Safron recorded a career day last weekend in the 49-19 loss at New Mexico State, throwing for 308 yards and two touchdowns.

With the addition of Cal Poly, UC Davis, North Dakota and Southern Utah to the Big Sky for football, the conference has swelled to 13 members. That’s the largest in the FCS and is matched in the FBS only by the SEC and Mid-American Conference.

Kensler joined The Denver Post in 1989 and has covered a variety of beats, including Colorado, Colorado State, golf, Olympics and the Denver Broncos. His brush with greatness: losing in a two-on-two pickup basketball game at Ohio State against two-time Heisman Trophy winner Archie Griffin.

Terry Frei graduated from Wheat Ridge High School in the Denver area and has degrees in history and journalism from the University of Colorado-Boulder. He worked for the Rocky Mountain News while attending CU and joined the Post staff after graduation. He has also worked at the Oregonian in Portland, Ore., and The Sporting News. His seventh book, March 1939: Before the Madness, was issued in February 2014.